Multiple mast section tower crane



July 13, 1965 N. E. KERRIDGE 3,194,412

MULTIPLE MAST SECTION TOWER CRANE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 26, 1963 July 13, 1965 N. E. KERRIDGE MULTIPLE MAST SECTION TOWER CRANE Filed July 26, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 13, 1965 N. E. KERRIDGE MULTIPLE MAST SECTION TOWER CRANE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 26, 1963 Filed July 26, 1965 MULTIPLE MAST SECTION TOWER CRANE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent MULTIPLE MAST SECTION TOWER CRANE Norman Edward Kerridge, Saltford, near Bristol, England, assignor to Stothert & Pitt, Limited, Bath, England, a company of the United Kingdom Filed July 26, 1963, Ser. No. 297,795 Claims priority, application Great Britain, July 31, 1962, 29,467/ 62, 29,468/62, 29,469/62, 29,470/ 62 3 Claims. (Cl. 212-46) This invention relates to tower cranes having a tower built up from a number of standard sections which when erected support a superstructure carrying a jib and counterjib.

One of the problems in the erection of so-oalled builders or tower cranes is how desirably to avoid the use of an independent crane, when assembling the several tower sections.

The present invention is particularly concerned therefore with the erection of a free-standing tower, crane and provides a crane structure including a superstructure, the consrtuction of which permits the self-erection and extension .of the tower from the bottom, i.e. at or near ground level, the superstructure serving both as a guide and as a means for erecting the uppermost tower section and for introducing subsequent tower sections as they are added one by one.

According to the present invention in a tower crane structure having a tower built up from a number of sections arranged end-to-end [and having a superstructure for mounting a jib, which superstructure, when the tower is erected, surrounds the upper end of the tower and is supported therefrom for slewing movements, the superstructure comprises a substantially rectangular cage having three sides arranged to define a lateral opening to permit, during erection, the introduction of the uppermost tower section and further comprises a detachable fourth side for partly closing said opening whilst leaving a reduced lateral aperture therein through which one or more further tower sections can be introduced one after another, guide means carried by the three sides of the superstructure cage and the fourth detachable side, enabling the superstructure, when completed by the attachment thereto of the fourth side, to serve as a guide, during raising of the uppermost tower section, to permit the sideways introduction of the said subsequent sections beneath the uppermost tower section; and the tower having a single drive motor for raising the tower Within the superstructure, for hoisting the superstructure up the tower and for imparting slewing movement to the superstructure relative to the tower.

The invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of a tower crane having an inner tower fixed into an outer tower, the inner tower being constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 1A is an elevation of the lower portion of the tower of a mono-tower crane, the upper portion of which is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3 are respectively an elevation and plan view showing a preliminary stage in the course of erection of the crane, with the superstructure erected to receive the first or uppermost tower section;

FIGURE 4 is an elevation showing a subsequent stage of erection with the upper tower section erected and the super-structure at ground level;

FIGURE 5 is an elevation at right angles to FIG- URE 3 showing a later stage, with the upper section of the tower lifted to a position clear of the ground, preparatory to receiving the second tower section;

FIGURE 6 is a detail plan of the upper end of the superstructure; and

FIGURES 7 and 8 are respectively a plan and elevation showing in enlarged detail the connection betwwn the superstructure and the upper tower section.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, there is shown a tower crane structure comprising an inner tower T, hereinafter referred to as the tower, the lower portion of which is telescopically mounted within an outer tower, the latter being built up of sections D. The present invention is concerned with the tower T and its erection, since the outer tower D, which serves only to increase the height of the tower T, is not an essential feature and may be omitted as depicted, for example, in FIGURE 1A wherein the tower T is shown mounted on a base frame 19 supported by a traveling carriage F.

The tower T comprises a rectangular uppermost or pintle section R and a plurality of rectangular standard sections 36, and when assembled and erected, supports a superstructure S for slewing movement relative thereto. The superstructure S supports a jib and a counter jib K. The pintle section R carries a driving mechanism consisting of a winch drum 25 driven through gearing G by a motor M, which mechanism is used for the erection of the tower T and the elevation of the superstructure S and attached jibs J and K, and also for imparting slewing motion to the superstructure and jibs. The driving mechanism forms the subject matter of my co-pending application No. 297,796.

The superstructure S which serves as a guide and a means for assembling the individual sections 36, R from which the tower T is built up, is constructed in the form of a rectangular open ended cage made up of three fixed sides and a fourth side which is detachable. In FIGURE 3 the fixed sides are indicated at 1, 2 and 3 and a fourth side to complete the rectangular cage is denoted, in broken lines, by reference 4. The super structure includes uprights 6- 6, 6'-6' (see FIGURE 6) at each corner, joined to one another at their upper ends by cross-beams 7 at the sides 1, 2 and 3, at intermediate levels respectively by beams 9 and 10 at the sides 1, 2 and 3, and at their lower ends on all four sides by cross-beams 8.

A yoke 20 (FIGURE 4) is supported for rotation on a pintle 22 mounted on the pintle section R of the tower. The yoke 20 has at its opposite ends brackets 21, 21 by which, when the tower has been erected to its full height and, as hereinafter explained, the superstructure S is hoisted to the top of the tower, the superstructure can be connected to the yoke and thus indirectly to the tower by bolting it to the brackets 21, 21 at each end of the yoke 20.

The manner in which the superstructure S is utilized to erect the tower of the crane will now be described with particular reference to FIGURES 2-5.

The superstructure S is first mounted upon a base frame 19, in an upright attitude as shown in FIGURE 2. The detachable side 4 of the superstructure which comprises upper and lower panels 4a and 4b respectively (FIG.- 4), is removed and the pintle section R of the tower is laid upon its side with its foot adjacent the base of the superstructure. The positions of panels 4a and 4b when attached are indicated in broken lines in FIG- URES 4 and 5.

The section R is then run in toward and into the open side of the superstructure S, utilizing for this purpose tower erection ramps 14 and rails 14a, 14a for engagement by rollers 15 which are detachably secured to the bottom end of the section R.

The winch drum 25 carries a rope 26 which is passed 7 over a pulley 29, mounted upon a bracket 38' at the upper end of the towe'r'pintle' section R; thence aroundra-pulley I 7 27a in a sheave block 27, which carries a second sheave 27b, and back over a pulley 4% to engage block 45 which a is pivotallyconnected to the tower pintle section'R. '1

The sheave block 2722 israjnchored to'brackets 39 located I respectively at two opposite sides of the superstructure, by means of a straining rope 28 extending between the brackets 30 and passing'over the pulley 27b.

The motor M is then used to rotate the-winch drum 25 and to wind in the rope 26, and after the rollers have contacted, stops 15a on the ,rails 14a, 14a to raise the section R toa nearly vertical position as denoted by the dash-dot line XX"inFFIGURE 12 which it will be noted'is at a small angle to the vertical.

At this stage, the center of gravity'of the section R J has. just passed, the rollers 15, and its lower and inner end, indicated at 31 in FIGURE 2, then rests upon screw jacks, one 'of whichis indicated at'32,and by means 5 of which the end 31 of the section R is furthered lowered so that the section R becomes vertically-erect as shown in FIGURE 4.

' The upper panel 4a of the. detachable side 4 is then .sec'ured in position as shown in FIGURE 4, closing the 3 upper portion'of the open side of the superstructure, but leaving an opening beneath the panel 4a of a height and 'width sufficient to permit the subsequent introduction of additionaLtower sections 36, o e at a time, in' upright attitudes, laterally into the superstructure.

It is thereafter necessary toraise the pintle section R relative to the superstructure 8 in order to .permitia secondtower section36 tobe hoisted and run into position beneath the section R. To achieve this, the part of sheave block 27 containing the sheave 27b is detached and one,

end of the straining rope 28" (orianother rope of suitable then passes around a pulley 43 carried by a'cha'ir' 44 'attached to the lower end of-the section R and the free 2 end of the rope 28' is anchored tonthe 'top of the superstructure at 33. i

,35 length) is attached to'the sheave block 27, the rope 28 By attaching the second tower section 36"by a sling to the pintle section R, theraising. of the latter by' operation'of the winch drum 25, will simultaneously raise 1 the second section 36 fromthe ground to' aheight at which it maybe run in on the guide rails 14a, 14a .in

a horizontal direction beneath the pintle sectionR. Whe'n the section36' has been inserted beneath the pintle section R, the'latter isthen lowered a short amount and bolted to the section 36.

7 Further tower sectionsi36 may be added to the tower in the manner just described until the tower has reached therequired height, The superstructure cross-beams'7 and 9 arefitted with guides-34 and 35 respectively, for

guiding the first and subsequent sections cram :tower while they are raised to permit the insertion of furthersections.

i The lower panel 4b. of thedetachable side 4, which had previously been removed, is now boltedinto position and the 'jib I together with the'counterjib K and other equipment carried by the jib are attached to the bottom of the superstructure;

The superstructure S is thereafter hoisted up the tower by anchoring a part of the sheave block 27 to an anchorage point at the base of the superstructure utilizing the winch rope 26 on the winch drum 25, to. wind in the rope '26 until the superstructure reaches the top of the tower when it is secured to thelyoke 20 at'the top of the pintle section R. The guides 34,,35 'steady the superstructureS during its 'hoisting up the tower.

The lowerend of the superstructure S at the level of 3 1 4 the cross-beams 8," is furnished the base of the super-structures,v

Referring nowto FIGURES 7 and 8, the superstructure 5 3 S 'is further provided ,with auxiliary g'uides;5,'i attached f to the laterals 9, which guideshavelead-in.taper'surfacesQ 66 fo'r engagement, with slots 67" in'-"a ;bracketplate}68 3 at eachend of the yoke2t1; ,Thea'uxiliary' guides are also formedwithjlead-in surfacesfiea for guidance in ,di-

rections perpendicular'to that;providedjby thersurfaces: 7 66; As: the guides 65 vengagewith the yoke 20, the: guides i 35 pass out ofengagement withithe towerapintlelsec'tion' R, thus permitting the superstructurefto rotate with the;

ber of sections arrangedend-to-end and havin'g a super; structure for mounting a jib, which superstructure when the-toweris erected, surrounds?,thequppernend Jot "the tower, means for, supporting ,said-,{ superstructure on 2111!? upperend ofsaid towerfor' slewingfmovementgsaid super.- structure comprising a substantially rectangular cage having three, sidesrofv which two opposed sides 'definealateral opening, to permit; during erection,;th'e introduction of the uppermost :tower: section into said cage; and ,further comprising a detachable jfourth side forp-partlylclosing said ,opening while-leaving a reduced part, offsaid opening still open to permitintroduction of o'ne or more further tower sectionsone after another into said cage, guide meansicarried by said three sides of thesuperstructure cage and'the fourth detachable side, enabling the superstructure cage,

when completed a by the attachment thereto 1 of the fourth side, to'serve as a guide during raising of the uppermost tower-section, and to' permitfthe sidewaysjintroductionpf V thesaid further sections beneathithe uppermost tower section;,and the tower-having power; operatedmeans in clud ing'a single drive motor for raising the tower withinithe superstructure; for hoistinglhe' superstructure up :the

tower and for imparting slewing movement to the superstructurerelative.rtofthe towe'rz;

2. Aftower' craneaccordir gto claim :51 lconipri singia "pintle shaft supported on the uppermost tower: section at thegcenter'zof the tower,'a .yoke member supported on said pintle'shaftfforrotation aboutsaid IoWerTcenter, and i V a winch drum mounted on sa'idpintleshaftiforrotation1 thereon and forming part of fsaid power operated means.

, 3. A tower crane according to claim 1 in which the dee 'tachablelside comprises {an upper; and a lower component,

said guide means' .being;provided ,onisaidtupperacomw SAMUEL F: COLEMAN, Primary Examiner, ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Examiner."

witli tower guides which form an integral partof :a roller path, mounted within lnA tower-crane havinga towerbuilt up from a 6661;, 

1. A TOWER CRANE HAVING A TOWER BUILT UP FROM A NUMBER OF SECTIONS ARRANGED END-TO-END AND HAVING A SUPERSTRUCTURE FOR MOUNTING A JIB, WHICH SUPERSTRUCTURE WHEN THE TOWER IS ERECTED, SURROUNDS THE UPPER END OF THE TOWER, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID SUPERSTRUCTURE ON THE UPPER END OF SAID TOWER FOR SLEWING MOVEMENTS, SAID SUPERSTRUCTURE COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR CAGE HAVING THREE SIDES OF WHICH TWO OPPOSED SIDES DEFINE A LATERAL OPENING TO PERMIT, DURING ERECTION, THE INTRODUCTION OF THE UPPERMOST TOWER SECTION INTO SAID CAGE AND FURTHER COMPRISING A DETABHABLE FOURTH SIDE FOR PARTLY CLOSING SAID OPENING WHILE LEAVING A REDUCED PART OF SAID OPENING STILL OPEN TO PERMIT INTRODUCTION OF ONE OR MORE FURTHER TOWER SECTIONS ONE AFTER ANOTHER INTO SAID CAGE, GUIDE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID THREE SIDES OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURE CAGE AND THE FOURTH DETACHABLE SIDE, ENABLING THE SUPERSTRUCTURE CAGE, WHEN COMPLETED BY THE ATTACHMENT THERETO OF THE FOURTH SIDE, TO SERVE AS A GUIDE DURING RAISING OF THE UPPERMOST TOWER SECTION, AND TO PERMIT THE SIDEWAYS INTRODUCTION OF THE SAID FURTHER SECTIONS BENEATH THE UPPERMOST TOWER SECTION; AND THE TOWER HAVING POWER OPERATED MEANS INCLUDING A SINGLE DRIVE MOTOR FOR RAISING THE TOWER WITHIN THE SUPERSTRUCTURE, FOR HOISTING THE SUPERSTRUCTURE UP THE TOWER AND FOR IMPARTING SLEWING MOVEMENT TO THE SUPERSTRUCTURE RELATIVE TO THE TOWER. 